Search form

Search form

A Florida task force has proposed stopping tuition increases for some college majors, such as science, technology, engineering and math, in an effort to raise enrollment in these fields. This approach is new to higher education, where tuition discrepancies often have revolved around raising tuition in areas such as engineering because of the costs associated with that particular major. Some caution that just because higher tuition resulted in a decrease in enrollment in these fields doesn't mean the reverse will be true.

Related Summaries

College majors that focus on quantitative skills may correlate with higher pay, according to data analyst Randy Olson. He examined correlations between gender, fields of study and earnings. Data show students who pursue male-dominated majors, which Olson says often involve quantitative skills, have higher earnings than female-dominated majors.

Eleven colleges and universities in the Dayton, Ohio, area are forming an alliance to develop strategies that will lead to more students graduating with degrees in science, technology, engineering and math fields. The goal is to double the number of STEM graduates in the next five years through a $3.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

Math achievement -- once thought to be the most significant indicator of whether students would pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and math -- may be only part of the equation. A recent report found that early exposure to both math and science played a key role in students' intent to major in STEM fields.

Minority students in Virginia and North Carolina will have more opportunities in the future to get involved with programs related to science, technology, engineering and math, thanks to a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant was awarded to the Virginia-North Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation and will be used for summer learning, field trips, college-transition programs, mentoring and other activities centered on STEM education.

An interest in science, technology, engineering and math may not be enough to motivate students to complete a STEM degree, Paul Cottle, a professor of physics at Florida State University, writes in this commentary. He notes that teaching practices need to change if colleges want to graduate more STEM majors. For example, "active learning" and "guided inquiry" can help keep students engaged, he writes.